A Frustrated Keller Will Have To Play To Get Paid

Kristine Resse writes about football at Aerys Sports, a fantastic site dedicated to women writing about sports. Kristine on Twitter @KristineReese.

Dustin Keller is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the tight end has made it no secret that he is looking for a long-term extension from the Jets. Although Keller's representatives have approached the team about working on a deal, those initial talks have not resulted in much progress, leaving a frustrated Keller to play the waiting game.

So often, when a player is seeking a payday or an extension, you will hear a collective fan base or even the media chirp that the team should "pay the man."

Perhaps I need my ears (and eyes) checked, but I can't really recall hearing those words said about Keller, and I think there is a good reason why: For as valuable as has been to our quarterback, and for as much potential as he has, he is still frustratingly, bang-your-head-against-the-wall, drive you to drink inconsistent.

Consistency is an often over-used term in the NFL, but it is a highly valued one, especially when you consider that tight ends are generally a young, developing quarterback's best friend. No doubt Sanchez and Keller are buddies, but if Keller wants to get paid, he is simply going to have to be more dependable on the field.

Before I examine Keller's consistency, I want to first address the matter of opportunity, because it is vital to not only the discussion of his reliability, but to his overall value.

There is a common belief that the team must use Keller more. But numbers would tell us otherwise.

In 2010, Keller was the second-most targeted receiver on the team (100 targets), just two targets behind team leader Braylon Edwards. Keller's performance that season tapered off substantially after a hot start, and his play that year quickly earned him a reputation as one of the most inconsistent tight ends in the league based on numbers.

With Edwards no longer on the team, Keller supplanted the wide receiver as the primary target in 2011, leading the Jets in both targets (116) and receptions (65), posting career best totals in nearly every category and finishing sixth among tight ends in receiving yards. Many people are surprised to learn that Keller lead the team in both of these categories, in large part because he failed to show up in key moments. (More on that in a second).

No doubt Keller's 2010 season totals were affected by Santonio Holmes' return from his suspension in the latter half of that season, but his 2010 and 2011 statistics clearly show that that the tight end was used quite frequently, and that he has not suffered from a lack of opportunity.

I too, would like to see Keller have even better numbers in 2012, but given this data I simply cannot buy the argument that in order to be a top-5 tight end, he needs to be used more. It is up to Keller to improve Keller's numbers, and that means he must be more steady and available in big moments, and that has unfortunately been his biggest problem.

Ask anyone and they will tell you that Keller is prone to drops. I once again looked to the stats to find out just how much of a problem Keller's drops have been.

In 2011, Keller had a less than 57% catch rate, putting him outside of the top 100 among receivers, a rather unflattering statistic when you consider the opportunities he's been given. However, according to ESPN Stats and Information, Keller had a 21.7 reception-per-drop rate, which ranked 16th among players targeted at least 100 times. ESPN describes drops in this instance as "incomplete passes where the receiver should have caught the pass with ordinary effort," which basically means blatant drops that are 100% on the receiver (meaning, you can't blame the QB). This is an important point to consider, as this data actually shows that Keller had a fairly decent target to completion rate when he was in the driver's seat.

Still, regardless of who is or is not "at fault," Keller's target to reception rate overall is not the best, and needs improvement, particularly when you consider that in 2010, he was tied for last in the league in drops among tight ends.

Unfortunately, it is not just the volume of actual drops that is the concern, but rather, the timing of Keller's drops, fumbles and bumbles in key moments. You know, those boneheaded you-may-have-just-cost-us-the-game moments that just stick out in your mind? Keller's tendency to be careless, distracted and even absent-minded is incredibly frustrating and interferes with his ability to play up to his full potential.

This phenomenon is a difficult thing to quantify, as stats and data do not account for getting overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage, hurdling over guys for no good reason to show off and and then gettting hurt, or watching balls bounce off your helmet because you ran the wrong route.

At the end of the day, you can live with drops, fumbles, and the occasional miscommunications, but you die with a lack of big plays in big moments.

In 2012, this simply has to be better.

In fantasy football, contract years are traditionally the best years to own players. There is a long, well-documented history of position players performing well above expected in contract years (amazing what a litte incentive can do!) and perhaps the Jets are hoping to get the same out of Keller in 2011.

To learn more about what we expect from Keller in 2012, I spoke with Jets Nation blogger Dennis Agapito, who attended minicamp this week . Based on what he saw, he believes Keller to be the focal point of the 2011 offense. Dennis explained that they had him lined up all over the field - tight on the line, in the slot and in the backfield. Now, keep in mind that both Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill sat out of team drills, but Dennis' observation tells me the Jets plan to continue to use Keller just as much as they have in year's past, as a primary pass catcher on a receiver starved team.

According to both the coaching staff and those in attendance at camp, Keller is playing extremely well, and it is my hope that we can expect to see him live up to the potential that we all know he has, though I know that overreacting to OTAs and minicamps is a dangerous road to go down.

But only a guy that needs to prove himself would be the focal point of an offense and find himself without a long-term deal. He has been given the opportunity, and it appears that he willl yet again be given the opportunity, but with the team's plans to employ a run-heavy offense, I do not think it's practical to expect Keller to exceed his 116 targets from last season.

Of far greater importance than Keller's statisitcal achievements will be his ability to take greater advantage of opportunities on both a regular basis and in key moments, and to prove that he really is the reliable, consistent security blanket for Mark Sanchez that we have made him out to be.

At the end of the season, if the team is still unconvinced that Keller has lived up to his potential, he could easily be a candidate for the franchise tag, an option Keller has made it clear he would not be happy with. But if Keller doesn't have the productive year expected, I simply can't expect him to get a long term deal or get paid anywhere close to what these other receiving tight ends - like, ahem, that guy up in New England - are getting.

The scene is set for Keller to have the kind of year that long-term extensions are made of. You want your extension, Dustin? Go out and get it.

Jets' Henry Anderson fined for hit on Bills' Josh Allen

Anderson loses $10K for hit

By Nick Wojton | Sep 14 | 5:45PM

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Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen (17) runs past New York Jets' Henry Anderson (96) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun) (Bill Kostroun/AP)

Jets defensive lineman Henry Anderson was fined for a hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in his team's 17-16 season opening loss in Week 1.

He will be dinged $10,527 by the NFL, it was announced on Saturday.

Anderson had a late hit on Allen in the game. Later on it was revealed via cameras that Anderson also took a low shot on Allen, too. Having fallen to the ground, Anderson crawled to the side of Allen's legs after a pass and knocked him down.

C.J. Mosley, Quinnen Williams will not play for Jets vs. Browns

The Jets defense is down two key defenders for Monday's game

By Garrett Stepien | Sep 14 | 4:19PM

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Adam Gase 1-on-100:02:01

SNY's Jeane Coakley talks with Jets Head Coach Adam Gase on rallying the team after last week's loss and several injuries to key players

While the Jets technically had an extra 24 hours to get C.J. Mosley ready to return for Monday's 8:15 p.m. matchup with the Cleveland Browns after a groin injury in the past weekend's 17-16 loss against the Buffalo Bills, the clock was ticking on the linebacker's decision, which came Saturday.

After the team took Friday off, New York resumed practice Saturday and in the afternoon ruled the linebacker -- as well as defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (sprained left ankle) -- out for Monday's game.

Mosley, who sat out the week while he worked his way back, needed to get back on the field Saturday or else he would jeopardize his status for Monday.

Jets' Gregg Williams going back at Odell Beckham Jr. is a motivational move, but also a risk

It wouldn't be Williams' style to not answer back

Gregg Williams took the bait, because of course he did. That's exactly what he wanted to do. He didn't have to. He's a grown man, 61 years old, a coach with 30 years of NFL experience. He could have just let those nasty things that Odell Beckham Jr. said about him go.

But that's not Williams' style. He's a brash, harsh, tough guy who at the very least wants to project the image that he'll never back down from a fight. So when he was asked on Friday about Beckham's accusation that Williams ordered his players to intentionally injure the attention-seeking receiver two years ago, Williams began by saying this:

Bell tweeted Thursday that his shoulder turned out "fine" and he was "ready to go" for Monday's 8:15 p.m. kickoff at MetLife Stadium against the Cleveland Browns, but head coach Adam Gase gave an update for good measure Friday.

Gase said that Bell was good to go and set for practice Saturday, following the Jets' Friday off, after soreness surfaced from the injury in the middle of the week.

Asked about the comments Beckham made in which the ex-Giants star claimed that Williams -- while Cleveland's defensive coordinator from 2017-18 -- told Browns players to take him out of an Aug. 21, 2017, preseason game, Williams joked before shooting those down.

Former Giants star Odell Beckham is set to make his return to MetLife Stadium on Monday night when the Browns play the Jets, and the fireworks have already started.

After practice on Thursday afternoon, Beckham was asked about Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, and naturally, he did not hold back any feelings towards the coach.

"Nobody in the NFL is really out to do stuff like that, I had players on this team telling me that's what he was telling them to do," Beckham said. "Take me out of the game, and its preseason. So you just know who he is ... that's the man calling the plays."

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - One of Adam Gase's top priorities in the offseason was finding an experienced quarterback to back up Sam Darnold, and the guy he wanted from the beginning was Trevor Siemian.

This is why.

"He's exactly what smart teams want in a backup quarterback," one AFC scout told SNY on Thursday night. "Experience. He's done it before and done it well. There's no learning curve. Just plug him in and go to work."

Doctor on possible timetable for Sam Darnold's return to Jets, and potential complication that could prolong absence

If Darnold has an enlarged spleen, the Jets must be extremely cautious

Jets head coach Adam Gase delivered news that Sam Darnold has been diagnosed with mononucleosis, and will not only miss Monday's bout against the Browns, but they're expecting him to be out for some time.

So just how long will that be? Well, Dr. Aaron E. Glatt -- chair of medicine at South Nassau Communities Hospital -- gave his professional opinion on that matter.

"So everybody's different," Glatt told SNY on Thursday. "Individuals may do very, very well. They may feel almost right away. Others take a week or two, sometimes even longer still feeling fatigued, still feeling tired, not having their normal level of energy back to where they normally are at a baseline.

Trevor Siemian excited to play on Monday, says Jets are 'built to handle' losing players

Siemian has not played a regular season game since 2017

By Alex Smith | Sep 12 | 3:26PM

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New Jets talk new roles00:01:16

Trevor Siemian talks about stepping in as Jets starting quarterback, and Demaryius Thomas looks to show that he "still can play ball."

Six days before the Jets' Week 2 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, Trevor Siemian learned he was getting the start at quarterback.
With Sam Darnold sidelined for at least this Monday with mono, the reigns of Adam Gase's offense are now in the hands of the 27-year-old veteran.

"Coach Gase gave me a call and said they were trying to figure out what was going on with Sam but to be ready. Got the news last night," Siemian said on Thursday.

"I honestly felt for Sam. That's a tough deal, man. Just because I've seen him, since I've been here the last several months, put his heart soul and mind into this. It's been kind of rewarding for me, because I feel like I was a young player and seeing (Darnold's) progress from Year 1 to Year 2, I was excited for him and I still am."

"He's not going anywhere. He'll be back soon, but that was the first thing I thought of, feeling for Sam and hoping he makes a speedy recovery."

What's next for Jets with Sam Darnold's mono, more uncertainties leaving season hanging in balance

Aside from Darnold, the Jets are dealing with other key injuries

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - When the doctors came to Jets head coach Adam Gase on Wednesday night to talk about Sam Darnold, he said he had a feeling that his quarterback had mono. Somehow he just knew in his "gut" that the news was going to be bad.

With Sam Darnold out, how will Trevor Siemian impact the Jets' game plan?

Darnold is expected to miss several weeks after mono diagnosis

By Bent | Sep 12 | 12:59PM

A lot has happened over the last seven days, but -- just as it seemed like things might finally start to settle down -- news broke that is likely to have wider-reaching consequences than everything that came before it.

Having been diagnosed with mononucleosis, Sam Darnold will miss Monday night's game and will almost certainly miss next Sunday's divisional clash with the New England Patriots. Although the bye week follows that, the possibility remains that he could end up missing more than just those two games.

This brings backup Trevor Siemian into the spotlight. Siemian, who was signed during the offseason, is now the starter with Luke Falk set to be activated from the practice squad to back him up. Both put up solid numbers in preseason, albeit with and against backups and mostly by "dinking and dunking."

Darnold was sent home yesterday after coming in for practice

Sep 12 | 10:30AM

Jets QB Sam Darnold has mononucleosis and will not play against the Browns on Monday Night Football, head coach Adam Gase revealed on Thursday. Trevor Siemian will get the start under center in his place.

Darnold was sent home from practice on Wednesday, with Gase saying it was for an illness. But, after learning about the diagnosis, Gase actually went over to Darnold's home to give him the news. He was joined by offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and associate head trainer Dave Zuffelato.

The Jets have their fourth new kicker this season in Sam Ficken, who won a competition during a tryout earlier this week. He replaces Kaare Vedvik, who missed a 45-yard kick and an extra point in a 17-16 opening day loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

After letting Pro Bowler Jason Meyers walk after 2018, the Jets saw Chandler Catanzaro retire in the preseason, and then Taylor Bertolet and Vedvik not cut it. A less than ideal situation for Jets head coach Adam Gase, who oversaw the selection of Ficken this week.

Despite all that, Gase is taking an optimistic approach to the situation when asked about it on Wednesday.

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Jets' Adam Gase made a statement by not holding back after Sunday's loss to Bills

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - On his first chance to play Monday Morning Quarterback with his team, Adam Gase didn't hold anything back. His anger was evident. His words were harsh. And his finger was pointed directly at his players.

It was an unusual public display of day-after emotion, especially for anyone who lived the four years of Todd Bowles, a coach who rarely showed a public pulse. It was interpreted in some places as Gase rolling his Jets players under the proverbial bus and taking no blame for the Jets' opening-day disaster.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Jets head coach Adam Gase spent months building his offense around the receivers he had, insisting the group was better, more diverse than most people thought. Quincy Enunwa, as his tough, sure-handed possession receiver, was a big part of that equation.

So what is Gase going to do now?

The short answer in the NFL is always "next man up," but it's never that simple when a key player is lost during the season. And it could be particularly difficult for Gase to replace Enunwa, who is now lost for the season with another neck injury, because there's no one on the Jets roster who can really do what the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder could.

By Danny Abriano | Sep 11 | 4:45PM

In a huge blow to the Jets' wide receiving corps, the team will be without Quincy Enunwa for the rest of the season due to a neck injury, head coach Adam Gase confirmed on Wednesday morning.

Later on Wednesday afternoon, the Jets officially placed the wide receiver on Injured Reserve.

According to Gase, Enunwa suffered the injury during the Jets' Week 1 loss to the Bills and tests on Monday revealed the severity.

"We found out the next day after the game, kinda informed us that he didn't feel right after the game," Gase said. "Went through all the tests and evaluations and we didn't find out until after Monday. Then we had to look through some other avenues."

C.J. Mosley, Quinnen Williams also "progressing really well"

Sep 11 | 11:24AM

While head coach Adam Gase confirmed the terrible news that Quincy Enunwa was out for the season, he also revealed some other injury updates with his players heading into practice on Wednesday.

The two players we knew about -- LB C.J. Mosley and DT Quinnen Williams -- and both are "progressing really fast" with their ailments. Mosley came out late in the third quarter and missed the entire fourth quarter with a groin injury, while Williams is dealing with an ankle injury. He walked out of MetLife Stadium on Sunday in a walking boot.

Also, QB Sam Darnold was actually sent home today, as he continues to deal with an illness. Gase said his quarterback is still "kinda contagious," so it's more of a precautionary measure.

The lawsuit claims that on three different occasions, Brown sexually assaulted Britney Taylor, whom Brown had hired as a trainer, in June 2017 and May 2018. The lawsuit goes into explicit detail of the three encounters, claiming that Brown bragged about one of the instances in text messages that were included in the lawsuit.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this trade is the fact that the Jets would deal with their divisional rivals in New England. It seems implausible that the Patriots would be willing to give the Jets a player that they think can help them, especially only for a late-round pick that they won't receive until 2021.

Nevertheless, Adam Gase will have been keen to target Thomas, who was his best receiver when he made a name for himself as the Broncos' defensive coordinator. In Gase's first year in that role, Thomas caught a career-high 14 touchdown passes and then posted career highs for catches (111) and receiving yards (1,619) in their second year together.

Jets strike trade with Patriots for veteran WR Demaryius Thomas

Thomas immediately adds solid depth to the receiving corps

Sep 10 | 4:37PM

The Patriots made their deal with star WR Antonio Brown official on Monday, and in turn, the Jets are getting one of their depth receivers.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Patriots have traded veteran WR Demaryius Thomas to the Jets in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick.

The Jets are pretty solid at receiver at the moment with Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson, and Jamison Crowder leading that group. But there is also room for more depth, especially in the form of Thomas who has a Super Bowl ring over his 10-year career thus far.

Since Sunday's game, there's been a lot of attention centered around the team's kicking woes. Kaare Vedvik, who the Jets picked up to stop the bleeding in that department, missed both his attempts -- a 45-yard field goal and an extra point.

On Tuesday, though, the Jets brought in their fourth kicker of the year in Sam Ficken after hosting multiple players at the team facility. So with that (hopefully) settled, here are some other issues the Jets will need to focus on:

According to Vacchiano, the Jets also worked out Elliott Fry and Younghoe Koo. According to The Daily News' Manish Mehta, Tristan Vizcaino and Greg Joseph also tried out.

One source told Vacchiano that Ficken was the most impressive in the group.

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After struggling with Bills, Jets cornerbacks have even more daunting matchups ahead

The Browns come to town Monday followed by Pats, Cowboys and Eagles

Sep 10 | 12:44PM

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(Vincent Carchietta)

The Jets' fourth-quarter breakdown on defense has been well publicized since the team's tough Opening Day loss to the Bills on Sunday. You can place blame where you want when analyzing what caused the defensive mishap, whether it be C.J. Mosley's absence or not enough pressure on Josh Allen.

However, a recurring theme throughout the game was the Jets' struggling cornerbacks.

Bills WR John Brown was a nuisance all day toward Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts -- the Jets' starting corners on the outside. He had seven receptions for 123 yards and the game-winning touchdown on his stat sheet at the end of the day, as they couldn't keep up with his blazing speed...

Among the players and coaches singled out by Gase, Robby Anderson shouldered part of the offense's blame after the fourth-year wide receiver recorded three receptions for 23 yards on seven targets.

Anderson came to Gase's mind after New York's first-year head coach fielded a question about the offense's ineptitude, which was highlighted by second-year quarterback Sam Darnold's lack of a deep threat.